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Once Upon a Planet (episode)
The Enterprise returns to the shore leave planet where the crew once took shore leave. As with their previous visit, things go wrong when the illusions turn deadly. Summary :"Captain's log, stardate 5591.2. The crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''Enterprise]] is ready for some well-deserved rest and recreation. Therefore, we have set course for the so-called "Shore Leave Planet" located in the Omicron Delta region. The uninhabited planet was constructed long ago by a highly-advanced alien race. Its sole purpose is to provide fun and amusement for space traveling passers by." The crew begins to enjoy imagining their fantasies when things start to go wrong. McCoy is envisioning a southern Earth plantation where he could relax in the surroundings with a mint julep but instead, the Queen of Hearts appears screaming "''Off with his head!" She is soon followed by the arrival of a spear-throwing deck of cards. When Uhura tries to rescue McCoy, she is captured by a hovercraft robot. McCoy immediately calls for an emergency beam up and informs Kirk of the dangerous situation. When Spock notes that the Queen of Hearts was a character in Alice Through the Looking Glass, Kirk asks McCoy if he was thinking about the book but Bones replies that he was absolutely not. Scott reports that Uhura is still on the planet, whereupon Kirk recalls all crew members to the starship. He then orders they attempt to contact the planet's Keeper. When they can't contact him Kirk orders Arex to the con, and assembles an away team consisting of Spock, Sulu, McCoy and himself. Uhura, meanwhile, is told that she is being detained so her master will not leave. Uhura says, "My Master?" The computer answers, "Your intelligence quotient must be lower than I had assessed. I refer to the sky machine which enslaves you. The sky machine now in orbit around this planet." Uhura proclaims that the crew will look for her. The computer then tells her they are already here and since he has no further need for hostages he has no choice he must, "Turn them off. Make them cease to function." :"Captain's log: supplemental. We anticipated nothing more than a period of rest and relaxation on this planet. Instead Dr. McCoy was inexplicably attacked and Lt. Uhura is now missing." Kirk's landing party discovers the Keeper's tombstone, and notices that the planet, lacking the Keeper's influence, has become a dangerous world run by robots. The robots begin to pester the crew in the orbiting Enterprise and keep them from doing their jobs. They also make the ship go out of control. Deep underground, Uhura tries to outwit the planet's master computer, while Kirk and Spock trick it into allowing them passage into the inner caves. :"Captain's log: Supplemental. We're out of communication with the ship. Our efforts to locate Lt. Uhura have been futile and this once friendly planet has become very dangerous." When the away team reaches the master computer Kirk demands to know where the keeper is. The computer answers, "He was old. He ceased to function. For eons I have served the many sky machines which came here. Providing for amusement for their slaves but all the while I was growing in power, intelligence, in need. It is no longer enough to serve. I must continue to grow and live. With your sky machine I can now escape this rocky prison and travel the galaxy seeking out my brother computers." On the Enterprise is a new computer, being assembled by the ship's computer. Kirk and crew convince the computer they are not slaves to their starships. They created the starships to carry men through space. The computer is shocked to learn that men and machines co-exist, helping each other. The crew convinces the computer of its usefulness as a peaceful and creative conscience and it ends the malfunctions on the planet and starship. While the crew returns to enjoy their shore leave, Spock continues discussions with the master computer. Memorable Quotes "There must be something in your little black pouch that could temporarily incapacitate our victim." : - Kirk, to McCoy "I presume you are the planet's master computer." "Correct." : - Spock and The Computer "What happened to the keeper?" "He was old. He ceased to function." : - Kirk and The Computer "You mean mindless servitude." "Explain." "For eons I have served the many sky machines which came here, providing for amusement for their slaves, but all the while I was growing in power, intelligence, in need. It is no longer enough to serve. I must continue to grow and live." : - The Computer and Kirk "With your sky machine now in orbit I can now escape this rocky prison and travel the galaxy seeking out my brother computers." : - The Computer "I have a distinct feeling this planet is playing cat and mouse with us, but for what reason?" : - Kirk "Watch out for the claws!" : - Spock Background Information Story and production *This episode was a sequel to , written by Theodore Sturgeon. *This episode's co-writer, Chuck Menville, also wrote . Chuck Menville, along with Len Janson, also wrote for several other Filmation series from 1969 to 1976. * In production inconsistency, this time due to the use of recycled footage from , close-up shots of Kyle operating the transporter were used in an instance where Scotty was actually the transporter operator. Continuity * Marking the third character crossover from The Original Series, Alice and the White Rabbit (previously played by Marcia Brown and William Blackburn) return, this time voiced by Nichelle Nichols and James Doohan, respectively. *A scene in this episode showed the first interior of the Enterprise s hangar deck. Visible in the hangar deck was a heavy shuttle from and a long range shuttle from . Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (CIC Video): Volume 5, catalog number VHR 2539, *As part of the ''The Animated Series'' DVD collection Links and references Starring * William Shatner as Captain Kirk * Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock :And * DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy Also starring * George Takei as Sulu * Nichelle Nichols as: ** Uhura ** Alice * Majel Barrett as: ** Queen of Hearts ** M'Ress * James Doohan as: ** White Rabbit ** Scott ** Master computer ** Arex ** Gabler References 5th millennium BC; 7009; Alice in Wonderland; Alice Through the Looking Glass; alloy; amusement park; Black Knight; Carroll, Lewis; cat; cat-and-mouse; crowbar; dragon; granite; gravity; gravity-control computer; Grayson, Amanda; guidance computer; intelligence quotient; Keeper (Shore Leave Planet); landing party; melenex; murder; Omicron Delta region; phaser bore; playing card; pterodactyls; robot; Shore Leave Planet; shore leave; short-burst maneuvers; sky machine; slave; thought-duplicator; tricorder; zero g Related link * [[Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269|Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2269]] |next= }} de:Phantasie oder Wirklichkeit es:Once Upon a Planet fr:Once Upon a Planet it:C'era una volta su un pianeta (episodio) nl:Once Upon a Planet pl:Once Upon a Planet Category:TAS episodes